Many voters credit Putin, a 65-year-old former KGB spy, with standing up for Russia’s interests. But others say there's no alternative. The election comes at a time when relations with the US are compared to the Cold War and Moscow's accused of poisoning a spy in Britain.
So what do Russians expect from their leader?
Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Pavel Felgen-haeur - Columnist with Novaya Gazetta; Anna Borsh-chevskaya - Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy; James Nixey - Head of the Russia and Eurasia programme at the foreign affairs think-tank, Chatham House
